Goose Island Birding

 There were a lot of birds on this trip. We went to the "Big Tree" which was an amazing tree. The oak trees there have a lot of character. This tree was 700 years old I think. We imagined what all it had seen. My sister decided each of the trees should have a name. The way they grow is amazing and each has it's own personality.

I had seen on birding posts that there was a pair of whooping cranes wintering in the pasture across the street from the "Big Tree". I wanted to see them. We parked by some fisherman and I walked across the street to the pasture. The birds were far away, but I saw them. Birding pushes my camera to it's limit so the photos are really grainy when I crop to get close enough to identify the birds. The white pelicans and the brown pelicans have very different behavior. White ones swim in the bay a lot and steel the fish or the bait from the fisherman's lines. It is kind of funny to watch, but the fishermen get frustrated, they put out a lot of rods and go through a lot of bait. The brown pelicans hang out on the piers and at the fish cleaning stations. When the boats come in in the evening, the brown pelicans mob the fish cleaning counters like a bunch of dogs looking for treats.

We also saw snowy egrets, big egrets, green herons, sanderlings, sea gulls, sandhill cranes, ducks, grackles, roseate spoonbills. Maybe some others, I am still learning what they all are called.

March 22 1951

 Dear Dad,

How are you? How is the weather in Tokyo. We are all breathing and healthy. The weather here is quite nice. Well I just finished a letter to Bob and I still have to write to Grandma and Grandaddy. Well it is about time I wrote some letters isn't it. Well I guess I never told you about my grades last time, did I? Well, here they are (Ugh!) Latin -C

Geometry - A

English - B

Mech. Draft - B

Gym - B

Well, they aren't bad are they? Net time I hope to raise them. I am going to order an orchid tomorrow morning. I thought I would get her an orchid so it would still be good for her birthday. Good idea, huh!

Well Sunday is the day Ginger is going to be baptied. Boy will I be proud. Well time to say so long

Your son with hugs and x's

George

Ithaca New York, November 13, 1921

 This is a letter my granddad wrote his mother while he was in college.

213 Mitchell St

Ithaca, New York

November 13, 1921

Dear Mother,

When I awoke this morning the whole country landscape was white with snow. Off in the distance the white on the mountains showed in bright patches among the pine forests. To set everything off,, the sun arose in all its glory.

To continue the glories and purity of the day, Reverend John D.W. Fetter preached the morning sermon on the Peace equivalent of War. I can truthfully say that sermon is the best I heard yet. It is the first time I heard him too.

The text 1 Corinthians 13 was well chosen indeed. He quoted many writers on the need of war to uplift a nation. War they said was necessary to give a common aim, it bred unselfishness, heroism, loyalty, co-operation, etc. The present peace conference was a tinny step toward universal peace. Why? Because it was a negative factor. It put forth a restriction, but did not remove the cause. It offered nothing in place of war. No peace pursuit was as universal as war. Agriculture,, commerce, industry, all were local forces and bred selfishness.

But there was one thing that excited universal effort. Christianity. Mr Fetter then discussed the qualities of Jesus Christ showing his love, mercy, sympathy,, courage, etc. "Christianity", he said, "was universal and brought forth every good quality."

His sermon was good indeed.

The Sunday school comes after the service and this Mr. Fetter teaches or rather leads the discussion in the men's class. This Sunday it was concerning the "flood" There were thirty-two young men present in the class.

Everything OK here, Love to all

Son.

 

Spring, TX Oct 22, 40 (or 10)

A transcript of a letter written by by grandmother's brother. Not sure who to. 

 Dear Miss Willie:

And you never heard of Sellers? It wouldn't do to tell these people that. You ask what kind of a place it is. That is not a hard question to answer, We have a telegraph office, one boarding house and about five hundred box cars. It was hard for me to decide where I wanted to board but when dinner time came I went to the Womack hotel. The city is just one mile north of here called Spring. Never heard of that either? That's funny, Better get your geography and look it up. Spring has about twelve stores two thirds of which are saloons. They have a large dancing hall and have a big dance nearly every week. They have no church or Sunday school. Think this would be a good place to send missionaries don't you?

Was surprised to hear Joe going to Dallas so soon but think it is a good thing for him. He will mind Rowena better than anyone and she doesn't live in a rough part of town. It is like a country village. It will do him good to be in town where he can see and learn things. So you are playing chess every night, am glad you like it so well. Can you beat Bob playing? Am afraid I will not be able to win any games from you when I get back. Wish I could be there to play with you. Haven't played any since I left Mumford, but will get some men and find some one to play with when I find a place to stop. Will be here about a week or ten days longer, but can''t say where I will go then.

Am going to Houston Monday morning and return in the evening. Want to get some books to read while I am in this lonely place and will see about having your umbrella fixed up. Don't know what books I will get but if they are any good will mail them to you as soon as I read them. Reading is about the only way I can pass the time away here. I can sleep half of the time but not all of it.

I will expect one of those post cards soon, hope they are good. You mustn't tear them up. I hope they are just like you. They should be ready for you this trip home.

If you expect to paint many pictures for your students, am sure you will be kept busy from now until Christmas.

If you don't have time to write long letters, I will be glad to get short ones. I don't write very long letters myself.

Yours,

Roy

Beaches and Ferry

 We explored a bit while near Rockport. The first afternoon we went to Rockport Beach. There is a charge to get in, but it is a lovely rocky beach. This is where we saw the most cannonball jellyfish. Kiki found 2 marbles under the jelly fish. We spent a good 2 hours enjoying this beach park. This is also where we met a good samartian. On the way to the campground, we went over some rough road. One of the fog lights broke out of it's holder and was dangling by the wire. A man with his wife on a motorcycle mentioned it to us and offered to fix it. He got it back in the holder. He and his wife started full timing in their RV this year. They are staying 3 months in Rockport. It is a great area, I get why they want to stay.

The following morning we headed to Port Aransas. It was a pretty drive. We got to cross the channel on the ferry. I was glad to be able to follow other cars, but it was really quite simple and a very entertaining trip. We figured out why they spend the money on a ferry system there instead of building a bridge when we had to wait for an oil tanker being pushed by tug boats to cross. No way could they build a bridge high enough.

We walked around the port and admired the sail boats and the santa sand sculpture, visited the art center (amazing, I will go back), ate lunch and headed for the beach. It is a driveable beach if you buy a permit. We didn't buy a permit so parked and walked onto the beach. We spent hours enjoying the beach. The water wasn't too cold, but the dogs didn't want to swim. They liked to explore, but did not like the kids running up behind them.

On the way home, my sister and I stopped in the winery in Rockport and bought at home wine tasting kits. We took them back to the campsite and sampled 10 different wines. That was fun. We both like the apple wine best and one of the ports was really good. We both seem to prefer white wines to red, which surprised me. I thought I like red, but the white was much better. There was one we thought we wouldn't like by smell, but tasted really good.